Means for illuminating telephone dials and directories



J. G. HUNTER 1,969,306 A MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING TELEPHONE DIALS AND DIRECTORIES Aug. 7, 1934.

Filed July 21. 1932 misil- ,14 i if Patented Aug.` 7, 1934 MEANS FOR vILLUltIINATINGr TELEPHONE DIALS AND DIRECTORIES y John G. Hunter, Columbus, Ohio v Application July 21, 1932, serial No. 4629,896 s claims., (ol. 24o- 2.17)

well as illuminating the interior of the cabinet generally, l

Further, the invention has for an object to pro- 15 vide a reflector which will distribute the light both downwardly and inwardly, and upwardlyv and lrearwardly, without presenting direct rays to the person using thetelephone, etc. y f

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

' To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be flrst fully described in the following detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in whichz- Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a cabinet employing my invention, and showing the manner in which'the light rays are utilized.

Figure 2 is a front view of the cabinet, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the reflector.

vFigure- 4 is a rear perspective view `of the same.

In the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 represents the cabinet which has a drop hinged front door 2 and is provided with a fixed shelf inside to which the hinged leaf 4 is mounted, the leaf 4 being held in a forwardly downwardly inclined position when the door 2 is opened by a suitable stud 25, while the telephone directory 26 is held in place by al suitable supporting device 27, all of which parts may be of the construction shown in my application aforesaid, and are not, per se, claimed as of the present invention.

The hingedl leaf 4 carries a memorandum telephone directory 5 in which most frequently used telephone numbers may be indexed. It also carries a memorandum pad 6.

The interior of the cabinetris designated generally'by 7, and 8 is the front wall of the cabinet which cooperates with the door to form a closure for the front of the cabinet. The wall 8 is provided with a cutaway portion 9 in which the bulb 11 is iocate'd, the bulb being carried by a suitab flxture mounted in the cabinet just beneath the 60 top thereof. 12 is the reflector which constitutes the major portion of my present invention, and it consists of a laterally elongated shell having ay forwardly, downwardly inclined reflecting wall 13A for directing the rays from the bulb downwardly and rearwardly onto the cabinet-and onto the.y

hinged leaf 4. The reflector also includes a set of surfaces 14, 15 and 16, which cooperate with a shield plate 19'to provide a passage for Ythe light rays from the bulb 11 to the dial 24 of the telephone 23, the walls 14 and 15 serving as a reflector to reflect the rays rearwardly between the wall 16 and the top of the plate 19. f y

At the ends the reflectorhas ltop plate por.

tions 17 which leave a space 18 directly above the plate 19 so as to leave a free `channel for they rearwardly, upwardly reflected rays to the dial of the telephone.

A back bar 20 carries the shield 19 and is integrally secured tothe ends of the reflector. The bar'20 is provided with notches 21 to slipover suitable securing screws 22 by which it is held in` place on the cabinet. ends of the reflector are curved as at 23 on an arc having as its center of curvature the hinged ends of the door 2 so that the door may be freely swung from open to closed position and vice versa with* out engaging the reflector.

,The door 2 is held in the horizontal position by suitable articulated braces 24, as shown inFigure 1. I y 1 The rod 27 which holds the directory 26 to the door 2 has its free end passed through an aperture in the stud 25, the stud 25 cooperating with it to hold the telephone directory in place.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

1. In combination with an `electriclight bulb carried by a suitable support which has a chamber within the top of which is located the bulb and has means to supporty a telephone 'above and to the rear -of lthe bulb, and to support a telephone directory `below and to the' front of the bulb'; a. reflector mounted on the front ofthe support over said bulb, in frontV of and below the telephone, said reflector comprising a laterally elongated body having an open bottom, an open back, and a front reflecting surface, the latter directing rays of light into said chamber below the bulb and .having other front reflecting sur-` faces to reflect rays of light upwardly 'and rearwardly over the telephone dial, said reflector having an opening in the top and a shield plate located below the top opening and above thelight bulb and spaced from the front wall of the reflector to cut off direct light rays from the bulb The lower edges of the UNIrEosTATEs Plvrlslvi OFFICE through the top opening of the reflector, the open bottom of the reflector being of such area lthat direct rays from the bulb may project downyelongated shell provided with a lower front reflecting wall for reflecting rays rdownward and back into the said chamber, said shell having a shield plate lying above the bulb, said shell having a light passage with a reflecting wall in the front of said shield plate for directing the rays from the bulb back over the top of the shield plate onto` the telephone dial, said shell having means cooperating with said shield plate to cut off rays of light from the bulb upwardly and forwardly to the eye of the user. A

3. In combination with an electric light bulb carried by a suitable support which has a front wall provided with an opening in which said bulb lies; a reflector comprising a pair of rparallel end walls, a top wall and a front wall, said top wall having an opening, a strap extending across the back of the reflector from end wall v to end wall and having provisions in virtue of which the reflector may be mounted on said support, a shield plate carried by said strap and extending forwardly from the rear of the reflector and lying beneath said top opening and spaced from said top wall, said front wall adjacent the front edge of the shield plate having a vertical section, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined section and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined section, said shield plate being spaced from the said front wall.

4. In combination with anelectric light bulb carried by a suitable support which has a front wall provided with an opening in which said bulb lies; a reflector comprising a pair of parallel end walls, a top wall and a front wall, said top wall having an' opening, a strap extending across the back of the reflector from end wall to end wall and having provisions in virtue of which the reflector may be mounted on said support, a shield plate carried by said strap and extending forwardly from the rear of the reflector and lying beneath said top opening and spaced from said top wall, said front wall adjacent the front edge of the shield plate having a vertical section, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined section, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined section,said front wall also having a section inclined downwardly and forwardly from said last -named section, said shield plate being spaced from the said front wall.

5. In combination with an electric light bulb carried by a suitable support which has a lfront wall provided with an opening in which said bulb lies; a reector comprising a pair of parallel end walls, a top wall and a front wall, said top wall having an opening, a strap extending across the back of the reflector from end wall to end wall andhaving provisions in virture of which the reflector may be mounted on said support, a shield plate carried by said strap and extending forwardly from the rear of the reflector and lying beneath said top opening and spaced from 'plate extending forwardly from the rear of the said top wall, said front wall adjacent the front edge of the shield plate having a vertical section, fi'lipvkvarcllyy and rearwardly inclinedsecnon, anda vv,ciwnwardly adrerwardly inclined section, said front wall also having ase'ct'ion inclined downwardly and forwardly of said vertical section, said shield plate being spaced from the said front WaILIsubstantially the entire bottom of said refiector-bei1ig`=iopen, all being arranged whereby direct rays from the bulb may be passed downwardly and forwardly to illuminate an area below and to the front of said reflector by direct rays and to illuminate the area below and to the rear of the reflector by both direct and reflected rays.

6. In combination with anxLeleotric-alight bulb carried by a suitable support which, asia ront wall provided with an opening uhhsaidb'i'ilb,. lies; a reflector comprising a pair o parall nd walls, a top wall and a"front-wallhaidto having an opening, a shield plate yexteridl wardly from the rear of the refiecto' anddownwardly and rearwardlyyin ed;.s

said front wall also having a section clined,

downwardly and forwardly from ,said last'named section, said shield plate beingyspaced romy the 1,05 said front wall. '7; l ,l ,7. In combination withuanelectri ligt bf carried .by a suitable support; which/has lro t1v wall provided with an, opening inmwhic bulb lies; a refiectoromprising planesh4 1,10 tuting a pair of parallel end-wallsantop and a front wall, said top wall having anope'n,-, ing and having provisions in virtue of-y whichlthe; reflector may be mounted on said support, a shield reflector vand lying beneath said top opening and spaced from said top wall, said front wall adjacent the front edge of the` shield plate having a vertical section, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined section located above said vertical section, said front wall also having a section inclined downwardly and forwardly and located below said vertical section, said shield plate being spaced from the said front wall, substantially the entire bottom of said reilector being open, all being arranged whereby direct rays from the bulb may be passed downwardly and forwardly to illuminate an area below and to the front of said reflector by direct rays and to illuminate the area below and to the rear of the reflector by 130 Lboth direct and reflected rays.

8. In a telephone cabinet, abox-like structure having a drop front door hinged at its bottom to serve as a desk when opened, said structure including affront wall adjacent the top which, when the door is closed, cooperates with the door as a closure for the front of the cabinet, said front wall having an opening, an electric light bulb mounted within the cabinet and in part projected through said opening to illuminate the exterior of the cabinet when the door is closed, and a reflector mounted on said front wall above the projected part of saidbulb and shaped to direct the light rays downwardly and inwardly toward the cabinet. 1

JOHN G. HUNTER. 

